The present invention pertains to the simulation of the effects of indirect-fire weapons, such as artillery and mortars, in military combat training and more particularly to simulating effects on individual soldiers without requiring that each individual be equipped with a position-locating device.
Presently, two techniques for simulating area weapons effects are used. The first method currently in use is a centralized approach in which individual exercise participants or "players", either vehicles or individuals, are equipped with a positioning device such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a two-way radio, and a processor. The position of the player is transmitted via the radio to a central exercise control center which maintains a database of current positions for all players. The control center receives indirect fire information from the firing unit and assesses casualties against those players within the designated target area. The casualty information is then transmitted over the radio to the players in the field and appropriate cues are activated on the affected players.
The second method of simulating indirect fire presently used is a decentralized approach. With this technique, each player is equipped with a positioning device such as GPS, a processor, and a radio which may be one-way or two-way. The exercise control center receives indirect fire information from the firing unit and broadcasts a message to all players giving the location and describing the type of weapon being simulated. This information is received by all players who then individually compare their positions to the target location and individually perform their own casualty assessments.
Each of the two presently used techniques requires that each individual player to be equipped with a positioning device, such as GPS or a multi-lateration receiver and a radio which typically interfaces to a sophisticated time-division multiplexed or cellular data link in addition to the processing unit. This complexity adds size, weight, and cost to the player equipment. This is a serious problem for the individual soldier who must mount and carry this equipment. In addition, the soldier must also carry batteries to operate the equipment. Rechargeable nickel cadmium batteries are expensive and heavy.
This invention provides an arrangement by which indirect fire can be simulated without requiring each player to be equipped with an individual position-locating device.